


It’s Okay Not to Be Okay

by whatisreggieshortfor



Series: Pretend Pretenders [5]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:35:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27282037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatisreggieshortfor/pseuds/whatisreggieshortfor
Summary: Reggie tells Nick what happened. Reggie goes to Nick’s lacrosse game.
Relationships: Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Nick/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Series: Pretend Pretenders [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1989880
Comments: 16
Kudos: 131
Collections: Kelly's Picks





	It’s Okay Not to Be Okay

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wisegirl38](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wisegirl38/gifts).



When they got to the Molinas, Nick let Reggie hold onto him as they got to the front door and into the living room. “How are you feeling?” Nick asked as they sat down on the couch. Reggie was so close to him, he could feel his body heat radiating.

“I’m, uh, I’m better.” Reggie gave him a stiff smile.

“Reg, it’s okay not to okay.” Reggie just shook his head.

“This isn’t your problem.”

“What? Of course it is.” Nick knew the door opened, indicating the others had joined them. “Anything you’re going through, I wanna be there for you. We’re friends, right?”

“We are?” Reggie looked genuinely confused.

“Of course we are. You are too cool not to be friends with.” Nick felt a wave of relief at the small smile on Reggie’s face. He knew he’d have to explain to Luke why he was saying friends. Julie and Ray disappeared, muttering something about hot chocolate, but Nick wasn’t paying them any mind. The boy beside him had all his attention. “You can talk to me whenever anything gets too hard. And you never have to tell me why. I don’t want you to feel like you owe me an explanation, cause I can see the gears turning in your head.” He poked Reggie’s forehead, and it was true. Reggie was working through how to tell why he reacted the way he did.

“I, uh, I think I should. Tell you why, I mean.”

“You really don’t need to, Reg. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You might want to when you hear it.” Reggie muttered.

“Reggie, are you sure you want to do this?” Julie had come back with a tray of hot chocolate. Ray was in his office getting back to work, but there if they needed him.

“Not entirely but I’m gonna do it anyway.” Reggie huffed out a humorless laugh. “My, uh, my dad. He used to hit me. And he would at me about I was worthless and nobody cared what happened to me. And for a really long time I thought it was true. When I was I think fifteen, I finally told Julie. We’ve known each other since we were kids, and she was the only one I trusted. It wasn’t until two months ago that Ray found out. He was coming by with Julie to surprise me for my birthday, and when they walked passed the front window of the house, Ray saw my dad throw me into a wall. He flipped out, but not the way I was used to. He didn’t get mad at me. He got protective. Ray got my dad to turnover custody of me, and I’ve been living with them ever since.” Reggie knew it was the minor details of the story, but he spoke quickly, knowing Luke and Nick were exchanging worried glances. “I’ve been to the emergency room more times for falls than a dialysis patient receiving treatment.”

“Reggie.” Julie’s tone was like a warning, telling him not to play it off as a joke.

“Jules-“

“I know. The humor helps you. But it also represses how you feel.” Julie said it softly, taking Reggie’s other hand, the one Nick wasn’t holding. “You almost died, Reg. More than once I visited you in the hospital and the doctors weren’t sure how you were getting hurt so much.” Julie’s voice cracked.

“Don’t cry, Jules. Please. Not over me.” Reggie pleaded.

“Of course I’m crying over you, you idiot. You’re my big brother. You have been for years.” Nick switched which hand was holding onto Reggie, using the newly available one to rub circles into his back.

Reggie huffed out another laugh, “I’m sorry. You didn’t really sign up for this when you asked for a fake boyfriend.” Reggie froze, and Nick realized why. He had forgotten Luke was in the room.

“Hey, hey, Reg. It’s okay. Luke knows. I told him you were just helping me with Carrie. Right, Luke?”

Luke actually had no idea. But he knew when to follow his best friend’s lead, so he was nodding immediately. Julie raised an eyebrow at them as Reggie relaxed more, and clearly they weren’t fooling her but she wasn’t going to out them either. Reggie ended leaning into Nick, like it was natural. Nick brought his arm around Reggie’s shoulders as Julie suggested they watch a movie. She put on _Empire Strikes Back_ , and before long Reggie actually fell asleep on Nick. Luke and Julie offered to move him, but Nick said he was fine. The two of them shared a look that said “ _When will these idiots realize?”_

A few weeks went by and everything was good. Then one Friday, Nick had asked Reggie to come to his lacrosse game. Reggie didn’t know anything about the game, but he agreed. So here he was, sitting on the bleachers next to Julie, wearing Nick’s hoodie. Nick didn’t ask him to, but Reggie figured it was the boyfriend move to do. Reggie was pretty sure they were winning as he saw Nick and Willie tearing up the field. He didn’t know if Luke and Alex were defensive players, but they hung back so he assumed they were. Though he didn’t look at them much. His eyes always darting back to the blonde boy that asked him to come. Nick moved across the field, clearly about to shoot for the goal, when another player stick checked him. Unfortunately, since Nick was already shooting, the player’s stick slammed into his wrist. Nick dropped his stick and Reggie heard him let out a painful scream. Reggie wanted to go him, concerned, but Julie held him in place as the referees rushed to check him out. They pulled off Nick’s wrist guard, and Reggie could see Nick wince from his seat. As they led him off the field, he grabbed the front of Luke’s jersey, whispering something to him. Luke nodded, and Nick let himself be led to the nurse. Julie assured Reggie he’d be fine, and as soon as the game ended an hour later, Luke came up to them. “Hey, uh, Nick wanted me to bring you guys to his house. If you want to go.”

Reggie was immediately nodding, “Yes, yeah, is he okay?”

”I don’t know yet.” Luke answered, “But he figured you’d be upset so he asked me to check on you guys. Just let me change and we’ll go.”

Nick, as it turned out, was not okay. He got lucky, and his wrist wasn’t broken, but it was sprained. Reggie tried to take care of him, but Nick wouldn’t let him. He just wanted Reggie to see that he was relatively fine so he wouldn’t get into his head and spiral. Reggie was thankful for that, but the fact that Nick cared about him after he got hurt made Reggie’s heart swell with affection.


End file.
